appears in the following:

A lawsuit over an abortion pill could about change how the FDA approves medicines

Friday, February 24, 2023

A federal judge is set to rule in a case challenging the FDA's approval of an abortion pill decades ago. Siding with the anti-abortion group may have ripple effects on drug approvals as we know them.

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Many people with ADHD can't get their medication amid Adderall shortage

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

A shortage of both generic and brand-name Adderall began in October. That's left many ADHD patients without their needed medication.

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Adderall shortage forces some patients to scramble, ration or go without

Saturday, February 18, 2023

The FDA announced the supply troubles in the fall. Four months later, the medication remains hard to get and could stay that way until the spring

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After more than 20 years, a major arthritis drug is about to face cheaper competition

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

When a pharmaceutical drug has been on the market a while, it's supposed to go generic and the price is supposed to go down. For blockbuster arthritis drug Humira, that hasn't happened — until now.

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Is it time for a reality check on rapid COVID tests?

Thursday, January 19, 2023

At-home rapid tests have become a staple of COVID-19 precautions, but some experts worry that people are relying too much on these tests and that's creating a false sense of security.

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Abortion pills should be easier to get. That doesn't mean that they will be

Thursday, January 05, 2023

Changes by the FDA mean patients won't have to schedule in-person exams to get a prescription. That opens the door for more pharmacies to provide the medication. But not everyone will have access.

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Abortion pill could soon become much easier to obtain

Wednesday, January 04, 2023

The abortion pill Mifepristone, which has only been available in person in certain clinics, could become accessible at local drugstores and retail pharmacy chains, as well as via telehealth.

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Democrats may make some progress toward lowering high drug prices

Thursday, August 04, 2022

The cost of prescription drugs have been a political issue for years. If Congress passes the Reduce Inflation Act, a provision would allow Medicare, for the first time, to negotiate drug prices.

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5 things to know about the FDA's flawed approach to accelerated drug approvals

Monday, July 25, 2022

An NPR investigation found stalled confirmatory trials and lax enforcement are plaguing the FDA's accelerated approval of drugs for urgent medical needs.

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Drugmakers are slow to prove medicines that got a fast track to market really work

Friday, July 22, 2022

Stalled confirmatory trials and lax enforcement plague the Food and Drug Administration's accelerated approval pathway for pharmaceuticals that target urgent medical needs.

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Some fast-tracked drugs are tardy doing their trials to get regular FDA approval

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Stalled confirmatory trials and lax enforcement plague the Food and Drug Administration's accelerated approval pathway for pharmaceuticals that target urgent medical needs.

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2 House subcommittees are trying to get answers about the baby formula shortage

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Two House subcommittees are holding hearings on the baby formula crisis. One will focus on the Food and Drug Administration and the formula makers. The other will look at the effects of the shortage.

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White House invokes the Defense Production Act for the baby formula shortage

Thursday, May 19, 2022

The Biden administration says help is on the way to address the nationwide baby formula shortage. How would the Defense Production Act, a legal vestige of the Cold War era, help?

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Feds' contract with Pfizer for Paxlovid has some surprises

Tuesday, February 01, 2022

NPR has obtained the government's $5.3 billion contract for the first 10 million courses of Paxlovid, an antiviral pill for COVID-19. Here's what's in it.

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Biden promised a billion COVID tests. Contracts to buy them are being announced

Friday, January 14, 2022

The Biden administration wants to buy and send a billion free at-home COVID tests to Americans. Here's what we know so far about the contracts in terms of price, timeline and more.

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The COVID antiviral drugs are here but they're scarce. Here's what to know

Friday, December 31, 2021

Paxlovid and molnupiravir have been authorized for emergency use to keep COVID-19 patients out of the hospital, but don't expect to be able to go to your usual pharmacy and get them.

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Omicron boosters are in the works, but will they be needed?

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Omicron has many more mutations than previous variants of concern, a fact that raises questions about how effective existing vaccines will be against the new form of the coronavirus.

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What the omicron variant might mean for current — and future — vaccines

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Former scientific head of Operation Warp Speed Moncef Slaoui explains why he is confident in existing vaccines' protection against omicron and how soon a variant-specific booster could be developed.

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What you need to know about the COVID-19 omicron variant

Sunday, November 28, 2021

There's a new, heavily mutated COVID-19 variant called omicron. Scientists tell us what's known so far about it, what's not yet known, and what this all means for public health.

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COVID vaccines are set to be among the most lucrative pharmaceutical products ever

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

How much money have Pfizer and Moderna made off their COVID-19 vaccines? They're shaping up to be the most lucrative pharmaceutical products ever.

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